Overview
- The ministry convened a working group on Wednesday, August 26, to begin formal talks on stabilizing the postal business after recent losses.
- Officials told the panel that the postal business recorded a ¥32.2 billion operating loss in fiscal 2025 and that deficits are expected to widen from fiscal 2026 onward.
- The ministry highlighted a sharp drop in mail volume and a rigid cost structure in which personnel costs account for more than 70 percent of expenses.
- Panel members raised the need for structural reform and are examining concrete measures including cutting the number of public mailboxes and lowering delivery frequency.
- The working group aims to present a package of options by next summer and will assess how changes could affect access for residents, especially in rural areas, and the postal group’s reliance on cross-subsidies and government support.